Saturday, March 22, 2014

Ask a Dreamsicle: How do you...

It's no secret that I love being busy. I can't think of anything I'd rather be. (Other than a mermaid.)

There are tomes of self help information, advice and lectures on how to be a Productive Time Altering Wizard. Some of this information is incredibly helpful and inspiring, but much of it assumes CEO's are the only humans who want to go forth and Do Things. (Not that there's anything wrong with being a CEO. Go get it!)

But 'Zeroing my Inbox' has never done anything but make me feel bat-shit crazy.

It just isn't always relevant for the existence we're trying to style. Dig?

Here is my gloves-off answer to Effing Doing All the Stuff You Want to Do.

Be afraid and ignore it. My friends know I am essentially a ball of crippling chipmunkish anxiety.
If we wait to make a move "when the time is right" (which is code for: "until we're no longer afraid") it will never happen. Fear is a totally normal reaction, just don't let it own you.

On your mission to Do Stuff, you're going to feel crazy. You're going to juggle. Trust it's for the best.

Align yourself with humans who are aligned with you. There is NO way I'd be able to complete projects without a tribe of super heroes to help.

Aligning means finding a friends you can bounce ideas off of and support the mayhem of your life, making connections with enthusiastic humans who share your interests, or possibly an employer that understands and appreciates your life outside of work. (Networking. It doesn't have to be gross.)

Implement a system. I know-- It sounds terribly sexy. My prefered system for scheming is a hard copy calendar. Use what works for you: journals, google calendar, timers, folders, weekly powwows to brainstorm, accountability coffee dates, or setting aside a specific day of the week to womp on your goal.

Take care of yourself. (Duh.) It's so obvious, but for some reason it's really hard. Giving yourself what you need keeps you from burning out. It's tough enough to make it through the day as it is without sabotaging ourselves. It's ALL about snacks and naps.

Say no to things you can take care of later. Sometimes (usually) Getting Things the Eff Done means taking a pass on the hangover or working on your couch groove.